Switch with reversible contacts and reversible contact carrier



y 4, 1956 c. R. PETER 2,756,291

SWITCH WITH REVERSIBLE CONTACTS AND REVERSIBLE CONTACT CARRIER FiledMarch 5, 1953 2 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 24, 1956 c. R. PETER 2,756,291

SWITCH WITH REVERSIBLE CONTACTS AND REVERSIBLE CONTACT CARRIER FiledMarch 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aka/mag United States Patent SWITCH WITHREVERSIBLE CONTACTS AND REVERSIBLE CONTACT CARRIER Charles R. Peter,West Allis, Wis., assignor to Allis Chalmers Manufacturing Company,Milwaukee, Wis.

Application March 5, 1953, Serial No. 340,437 13 Claims. (Cl. 200-16)This invention relates to electric switches, and more particularly toreciprocally operable multiple contact switches in which any of thecontacts may be selectively arranged in either normally open or normallyclosed positions.

Switches are known in which a plunger is movable in either directionfrom a normal position but none have provided movable contactsreversibly repositionable on the plunger to obtain opposite switchingresults upon movement of the plunger in a given direction nor have anyprovided plunger-s repositionable in the switch to obtain oppositeswitching results upon movement of the plunger in a given direction.Switches heretofore have been convertible from normally closed tonormally open but have necessitated rearrangement of either stationarycontacts or movable contacts, or both.

This invention provides a switch in which contacts are reversiblypositionable on a contact carrier to obtain opposite switching results,and the contact carrier may be removed from the switch withoutdisturbing any of the switch contacts or of the biasing elements and maybe replaced in different positions to give different switching results.

An object of the invention is to provide, in a switch, contacts whichmay be converted from normally open to normally closed position or viceversa without rearrangement of either the stationary contacts or themovable bridging contacts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch in which acarrier carrying bridging contacts may be moved in either direction froma normal position and the bridging contacts may be selectivelypositioned to cooperate with the stationary contacts to either close oropen the stationary contacts only upon movement in one direction and maybe selectively repositioned to so cooperate only upon movement in theother direction and to oppositely cooperate upon movement in the samedirection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch having stationarycontacts and a carrier carrying bridging contacts, which carrier may bepositioned to selectively associate any bridging contact with any pairof stationary contacts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reciprocally operablemultiple contact switch in which all the moving parts of the switch arelocked in position on a carrier for easy removal of the carrier from theswitch housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a switch a bridgingmember for wipingly and resiliently engaging the movable bridgingcontacts and the stationary contacts.

Objects and advantages other than those above set forth will be apparentfrom a consideration of the following description when read inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a housing and a carrier utilized in oneembodiment of the invention in which all the contacts are normally open;

' other to form housing 19.

ICC

Fig. 2 is a front view, partly in section, of the housing and carriershown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken through line III-HI in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken through line IVIV in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section taken through line VV in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with the carrier shown moved to adifferent position;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 shown with the bridging membersreversed on the carrier;

Fig. 8 diagrammatically illustrates nine difierent arrangements of thebridging members in normal position on the carrier as shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of another embodiment of theinvention in which two bridging members are normally closed; and

Fig. 10 diagrammatically illustrates nine different arrangements of thebridging members in normal position on the carrier as shown in Fig. 9.

Referring more particularly to the drawing by character of reference,the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 comprises a housing 19 havinga first half 20 and a duplicate second half 21. Each of the halves 20,21 may be provided with a projection 22 and a depression 23 so that eachhalf 20, 21 may be interlocked with the Each of the halves 20, 21 areprovided with notches 24 in both ends thereof to form openings toreceive a suitable contact carrier such as a reciprocable plunger 25when the halves 2t}, 21 are placed together and interlocked. Each of thehalves 2t 21 may be provided with terminal bolts 26 secured to andextending into the sides of housing 19. Stationary contacts 11, 12, 13,14, 15, 16, 17, 18 may be secured to the terminal bolts and are securelypositioned inside of he housing. The number of pairs of stationarycontacts bridgeable by the bridging members 43, 44, 45, 46 is equal tothe number of stationary contacts. The stationary contact which may acttogether as bridgeable pairs are 11 and 12, 13 and 14, 15 and 16, 17 and18, 11 and 15, 12 and 16, 13 and 17, and 14 and 18. Thus the eightstationary contacts form eight bridgeable pairs of stationary contacts.Holes 27 through the housing sides serve to receive bolts 28 which passuninterferingly through the housing and may be provided with nuts 29 tohold the housing halves together.

Carrier 25 may be associated with any suitable known normal, mechanicalor electrical actuating means represented by a fork 30 for movingcarrier 25 in either direction from its normal position in housing 19.Carrier 25 comprises a first end section 31, a center section 32, and asecond end section 33. End section 31 may have thereon raised portions34 each having an extending part 35 and may also have thereon projectingpieces 36 each having a hole 37 therethrough, the axis of which isparallel to the axis of carrier 25. Likewise, end section 33 may haveraised portions 3.3 each having an extending part 39 and may also haveprojecting pieces 40 each having a hole 37 therethrough with its axisparallel to the axis of carrier 25. Center section 32 may be providedwith extending parts 41 on each end thereof as shown in Fig. 5. Sections31, 32 and 33 have their engaging portions inter locked and are heldrigidly together by a screw 42.

Carrier 25 supports four bridging contact assemblies each comprising abridging member. A bridging member 4-3 may be inserted between first endsection 31 and center section 32 and another bridging member 44 may beinserted between second end section 33 and center section 32 on a firstside of carrier 25. Third and fourth bridging members 45, 46 maylikewise be inserted on the opposite second side of carrier 25. Eachbridging member is generally U-shaped and consists of resilientconductive material such as a hard rolled alloy of copper and berylliumand may have its bight portion provided with an' opening. Silver contactbuttons 49, 50, 51, 52, may be secured to inclined extensions projectinglaterally outward from the free ends of the sides of the bridgingmembers. Mounting members 53, which may be tubes, loosely extend throughthe openings in the bridging members 43, 44, 45, 46 and have flanges 54secured to each of the ends thereof. Spring means 55 are disposed aboutmounting members 53 between one of the flanges 54 and its bridgingmember. Each bridging assembly is thus a compact unit which can beremoved from the carrier with its mounting member, its bridging memberand its spring all intact.

Four duplicate positioning pins 56, 57 may be inserted into holes 37.Each pin is provided with a flange 58 intermediate the ends thereof.Spring means 59 may be disposed between projecting pieces 36, 40 toencompass the ends of two pins 56, 57 and engage the flanges 58 thereofto urge the flanges against the projecting pieces 36, 40. Pins 56, 57and spring means 59 are thereby locked in neutral position on carrier25, and pins 56, 57 are of such length as to then engage the end wallsof housing 19 so as to bias carrier 25 into a normal position in housing19.

Referring to Figs. and 6, operation of the invention is as follows:Carrier is placed in housing 19, causing positioning pins 56, 57 toengage the ends of housing 19 to position carrier 25 to a normalposition in housing 19. Bridging members 43, 44, 45, 46 then are out ofengagement with the stationary contacts. Actuating means may movecarrier 25 in opposite directions, i. e., either to the left or to theright from the normal position. As shown in Fig. 6 carrier 25 has beenmoved to the left, forcing positioning pins 56 against the left end ofhousing 19 and causing the projecting pieces 36 associated withpositioning pins 56 to slide to the left on positioning pins 56.Positioning pins 56 therefore remain stationary as carrier 25 andprojecting pieces 36 move to the left thereon. Projecting pieces 40associated with positioning pins 57 carry positioning pins 57 withcarrier 25 and compress spring means 59 btween flanges 58 of pins 56,57.

Bridging member 43 moves to the left with carrier 25 and brings bridgingcontacts 49 into engagement with stationary contacts 11, 12 to bridgethem. Bridging member 43 flexes, resulting in slidable engagementbetween contacts 49 and stationary contacts 11, 12. Bridging member 43is stopped by stationary contacts 11, 12 so that mounting member 53compresses spring means 55 to resiliently engage stationary contacts 11,12 with contacts 49. Actuating means 30 may also move carrier 25 to theright (not shown) to cause contacts of bridging member 44 to engagestationary contacts 13, 14.

As shown in Fig. 5 positioning pins 56, 57 may be of equal length tothereby position carrier 25 so that bridging members 43, 44, 45, 46 areall in normally open po sition. Bridging member 44 is positioned withthe free ends of bridging member 44 to the left so that only movement ofcarrier 25 to the right will cause bridging member 44 to bridge andclose stationary contacts 13, 14. Bridging member 43 is positioned withthe free ends of bridging member 43 to the right so that only movementof carrier 25 to the left will cause bridging member 43 to bridge andclose stationary contacts 11, 12. By loosening screw 42, sections 31, 32and 33 may be separated to a sufiicient extent to permit mountingmembers 53 to clear extending parts 39, 41 without permitting springmeans 59 from disengaging pins 56, 57 and bridging member 44 may bereversibly repositioned between raised portion 38 and center section 32to place the free ends of bridging member 44 to the right so that onlymovement of carrier 25 to the left will cause bridging member 44 tobridge and close stationary contacts 13, 14. Likewise, any of thebridging, members may be reversibly repositioned between its associatedraised portion and center section 32 to coact oppositely with itsassociated stationary contacts in response to-movement of carrier 25.

Fig. 8 illustrates difierent arrangements of the bridging members withcarrier 25 in normal position when pins 56, 57 are of equal length. Allof the contacts are normally open. Movement of carrier 25 to the leftcloses every pair of stationary contacts associated with a bridgingmember arranged with its free ends to the right. Movement of carrier 25to the right closes every pair of stationary contacts associated with abridging member arranged with its free ends to the left.

Carrier 25 may be removed from housing 19 without thereby disturbin thebridging members, pins and spring means mounted thereon. The carrier maybe repositioned in housing 19 either end for end, or rotatably on itsaxis, or both, so that any bridging member can be selectively associatedwith any pair of stationary contacts. For example, referring to Fig. 5,carrier 25 may be removed and replaced end for end in housing 19 so thatbridging member 43 coacts with stationary contacts 13, 14 and bridgingmember 44 coacts with stationary contacts 11, 12.

Referring to Fig. 4, carrier 25 may be removed, rotated 180 degrees onits axis, and replaced in housing 19 so that bridging member 44 coactswith stationary contacts 17, 18 and bridging member 46 coacts withstationary contacts 13, 14. Referring to Fig. 4, carrier 25 may beremoved, rotated degrees on its axis, and replaced in housing 19 so thatbridging member 44 coacts with stationary contacts 14, 18, and bridgingmember 46 coacts with stationary contacts 13, 17. It is obvious thatcarrier 25 may be selectively placed in housing 19 in such a manner asto cause any bridging member to coact with any pair of stationarycontacts.

In the modified embodiment illustrated in Fig. 9 long positioning pins 60 and short positioning pins 61 may be provided to position carrier 25so that bridging member 43 may bridge and close stationary contacts 11,12 in a normally closed position. Bridging member 44 is shown in anormally open position. Movement of the plunger to the right to open thenormally closed stationary contacts 11, 12 causes the normally openstationary contacts 13, 14 to be closed. It is obvious that carrier 25can be positioned to cause any bridging member 43, 4-4, 45, 46 to beeither normally closed or normally open by utilizing short pins 60 andlong pins 61 without rearrangement Of the stationary contacts or thebridging members.

Fig. 10 illustrates different arrangements of the bridging members withcarrier 25 in normal position with long pins 60 and short pins 61.Movement of carrier 25 to the left effects no change but movement ofcarrier 25 to the right closes every pair of stationary contactsassociated with a bridging member arranged with its free ends to theleft and opens every pair of stationary contacts associated with abridging member arranged with its free ends to the right.

Although only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a switch, a housing having two stationary contacts opposing twoother stationary contacts mounted therein, a carrier in said housinghaving a first side and a second side opposite said first side, means onsaid carrier and coacting with said housing for biasing said carrier toa normal position, a first bridging member on said first side of saidcarrier to engage two of said stationary contacts, a second bridgingmember on said second side of said carrier cooperating with said firstbridging member to engage the contacts opposing the contacts engaged bythe first bridging member, said bridging members being positioned to beout of engagement with said stationary contacts when said carrier is insaid normal position, means for moving. said carrier in oppositedirections from said normal position to move said bridging memberseither toward or from said contacts, said first bridging member beingpositioned to bridge said stationary contacts upon movement of saidcarrier only in one of said directions and being reversiblyrepositionable to bridge said stationary contacts upon movement of saidcarrier only in the other of said directions, said housing beingseparable topermit said carrier being removable and rotatablyrepositionable in said housing to reverse said sides of said carrierwith respect to said stationary contacts to substitute said secondbridging member for said first bridging member.

2. In a switch, a housing having two stationary contacts opposing twoother stationary contacts mounted therein, a carrier in said housinghaving a first side and a second side opposite said first side, means onsaid carrier and coacting with said housing for biasing said carrier toa normal position, a first bridging member on said first side of saidcarrier to engage two of said stationary contacts, a second bridgingmember on said second side of said carrier cooperating with said firstbridging member to engage the contacts opposing the contacts engaged bythe first bridging member, said bridging members being positioned tobridge said stationary contacts when said carrier is in said normalposition, means for moving said carrier in opposite directions from saidnormal position to move said bridging members either toward or from saidcontacts, said first bridging member being positioned to open saidstationary contacts upon movement of said carrier only in one of saiddirections and being reversibly repositionable to open said stationarycontacts upon movement of said carrier only in the other of saiddirections, said housing being separable to permit said carrier beingremovable and rotatably repositionable in said housing to reverse saidsides of said carrier with respect to said stationary contacts tosubstitute said second bridging member for said first bridging member.

3. In a switch, a housing formed of a first half and a duplicate secondhalf opposite said first half, a first pair of stationary contactsmounted in said first half, a second pair of stationary contacts mountedin said second half, a carrier in said housing having a first side and asecond side opposite said first side, means for moving said carrier in afirst direction and a second direction opposite said first direction,means for biasing said carrier to a normal position, a first bridgingmember on said first side of said carrier for cooperation with saidfirst pair of stationary contacts, a second bridging member on saidsecond side of said carrier for cooperation with said second pair ofstationary contacts, means on each side of said carrier for detachablysecuring the respective bridging members in either of two positions onsaid carrier, each of said bridging members being in a first positionout of engagement with its associated stationary contacts when saidcarrier is in said normal position and to bridge its associatedstationary contacts upon movement of said carrier only in said firstdirection, each of said bridging members being reversibly repositionableto said second position to be out of engagement with its associatedstationary contacts when said carrier is in said normal position and tobridge its associated stationary contacts upon movement of said carrieronly in said second direction.

4. A switch comprising a housing having four pairs of stationarycontacts therein and a carrier in said housing, said carrier having afirst side having two raised portions thereon and a second side havingtwo projecting pieces thereon each provided with a hole therein, abridging contact assembly abuttingiy locked between said portions, afirst pin passing through one of said holes and having a flange thereon,a second pin passing through the other of said holes and having a flangethereon, spring means disposed between said pieces and engaging saidflanges for extending one of said pins through one of said holes and theother of said pins through the other of said holes and for lockinglyurging each of said flanges against one of said pieces to bias said pinsto a neutral position on said carrier for spacing said carrier to anormal position in said housing, whereby said carrier may be removedfrom said housing with said bridging contact assembly, said pins andsaid spring means securely maintained in position on said carrier, saidcarrier being repositionable in said housing to selectively associatesaid bridging contact assembly with any said pair of stationarycontacts.

5. In a switch including a housing having two stationary contactstherein, a carrier in said housing having a bridging contact assemblythereon, said assembly comprising a generally U-shaped resilientconductive bridging member having opposed sides and a bight portionconnecting said sides having an opening therein, said sides beingprovided with inclined extensions projecting laterally outward from thefree ends of said sides, a contact button secured to each saidextension, a mounting member for mounting said assembly on said carrierloosely extending through said opening and having a flange at each endof said mounting member, and a spring disposed about said mountingmember and between one said flange and said bight portion, wherebymovement of said carrier carries said contact buttons into engagementwith said stationary contacts to cause said bridging member to move onsaid mounting member compressing said spring means to cause said contactbuttons to wipingly and resiliently engage said stationary contacts,said assembly being removable intact from said carrier.

6. In a switch including a housing having two stationary contactstherein, a carrier in said housing having a bridging contact assemblyremovably mounted thereon, said assembly comprising a resilientconductive bridging member having an opening therein, a mounting memberloosely extending through said opening for permitting movement of saidbridging member on said mounting member, and spring means for biasingsaid bridging member to a neutral position on said mounting member, andmeans for moving said carrier to cause said bridging member to bridgesaid stationary contacts and to move against said spring and relative tosaid mounting member causing said bridging member to wipingly andresiliently engage said stationary contacts, said assembly beingremovable intact from said carrier.

7. In a switch, a housing having two stationary contacts therein, acarrier in said housing, means for moving said carrier in a firstdirection and a. second direction opposite said first direction, a pincooperating with said carrier and said housing for slidably engagingsaid carrier upon movement of said carrier in said first direction andfor fixedly engaging said carrier to be carried by said carrier uponmovement of said carrier in said second direction, spring meanscooperating with said pin for urging said pin to a neutral position onsaid carrier to space said carrier to a normal position in said housingand for opposing movement of said carrier from said normal position, abridging member carried by said carrier for cooperation with saidstationary contacts, said bridging member being reversiblyrepositionable for opposite cooperation with said stationary contacts.

8. In a switch, a housing having two stationary contacts mountedtherein, a carrier in said housing having a first side and a second sideopposite said first side, means for moving said carrier in a firstdirection and in a second direction opposite said first direction, afirst bridging member on said first side of said carrier for cooperationwith said stationary contacts, a second bridging member on said secondside of said carrier for cooperation with said stationary contacts, eachof said bridging members being reversibly repositionable for oppositecooperation with said stationary contacts, a first pin for slidablyengaging said carrier upon movement of said carrier in said firstdirection and for fixedly engaging said carrier upon movement of saidcarrier in said second direction, a second pin for slidably engagingsaid carrier upon movement of said carrier in said second direction andfor fixedly engaging said carrier upon movement of said carrier in saidfirst direction, spring means associated with said pins for urging saidpins to a neutral position on said carrier to space said carrier to anormal position in said housing and for opposing movement of saidcarrier from said normal position, said carrier being reversiblyrepositionable in said housing to reverse said sides of said carrier toselectively associate said bridging members with said stationarycontacts.

9. A bridging contact assembly for a switch in combination with acarrier, said bridging contact assembly releasably held on said carrier,said bridging contact assembly comprising a bridging having an openingtherein, a mounting member loosely extending through said opening forpermitting movement of said mounting member through said opening, aflange secured to each end of said mounting member and spring meansdisposed between said bridging member and one said flange for biasingsaid bridging member to a neutral position on said mounting memberagainst the other said flange, and means on said carrier cooperatingwith said mounting member to releasably hold the bridging contactassembly on said carrier, said bridging contact assembly being removableintact as a unit from said carrier.

10. In a switch, a housing, a carrier reciprocally operable in saidhousing, said carrier having a bridging member thereon, said housinghaving a first side and a second side opposite said first side, twopairs of stationary contacts in said first side of said housing and twopairs of stationary contacts in said second side of said housing, thespacing between each contact of a stationary pair of contacts in thesame side of said housing being less than the length of said bridgingmember, and the spacing from the stationary contacts in one side of saidhousing to the stationary contacts in the other side of said housingalso being less than the length of said bridging member, so saidbridging member can engage either a stationary pair of contacts in thesame side of said housing to form a bridgeable pair or extend betweenthe two sides of said housing and engage a stationary contact from eachside of said housing to form a bridgeable pair, said four pair ofstationary contacts forming eight bridgeable pairs of stationarycontacts, said housing being separable to permit said carrier beingpositionable rotatably and end for end in said housing to selectivelyassociate said bridging member with any of said eight bridgeable pairsof stationary contacts.

11. In a switch, a housing having a first side and a second sideopposite said first side, a first pair of stationary contacts mounted insaid first side of said housing, a second pair of opposing stationarycontacts mounted in said second side of said housing, a carrier in saidhousing having a first side and a second side opposite said first side,means on said carrier and coacting with said housing for biasing saidcarrier to a normal position, a first bridging member on said first sideof said carrier to engage two of said stationary contacts, a secondbridging member on said second side of said carrier cooperating withsaid first bridging member to engage the contacts opposing the contactsengaged by the first bridging member, means for moving said carrier inopposite directions from said normal position to move said bridgingmembers either toward or from said contacts, said housing beingseparable to permit said carrier being removable and rotatablyrepositionable in said housing to reverse said sides of said carrier toselectively associate either of said bridging members with either ofsaid pairs of sta tionary contacts.

12. In a switch, a housing having two stationary contacts therein, areciprocable carrier in said housing, means on said carrier and reactingwith said housing for biasing said carrier to a normal position, abridging member carried by said carrier, means on said carrier todetachably hold said bridging member in either of two positions on saidcarrier, in a first position on one side of said contacts and in asecond position on the opposite side of said contacts, said bridgingmember positioned to be out of engagement with said stationary contactsin either position of the bridging member when said carrier is in saidnormal position, and means for moving said carrier from said normalposition to move said bridging member into engagement with saidcontacts.

13. In a switch, a housing having two stationary contacts therein, areciprocable carrier in said housing, means on said carrier and reactingwith said housing for biasing said carrier to a normal position, abridging member carried by said carrier, means on said carrier todetachably hold said bridging member in either of two positions on saidcarrier, in a first position on one side of said contacts and in asecond position on the opposite side of said contacts, said bridgingmember positioned to be in engagement with said stationary contacts ineither position of the bridging member when said carrier is in saidnormal position, and means for moving said carrier from said normalposition to move said bridging member out of engagement with saidcontacts.

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